The centre and Sodexho at Daimler Chrysler were among 66 winners of the awards, which promote safe food handling and nutritional menus.

Ashwood Children's Centre youngsters get their hands dirty in the centre's vegetable garden. The children then get busy in the kitchen after they have cleaned up.

The centre's program co-ordinator, Liz Logan, was inspired by chef Stephanie Alexander's work with pupils.

Ms Logan said many children had not seen a vegetable garden.

"I have a feeling that if they see vegetables grow, they're more likely to try eating them."

She said planting, watering and picking silverbeet, corn, zucchini and lettuce was a fun antidote to a sedentary lifestyle.

"Playing computer games requires little more energy than the use of a finger."

She said it was important children could see that not all vegetables were green and that some were red, yellow and purple.

In the centre's kitchen, the children have prepared mini-pizzas and poppy seed biscuits.

Mayor Tom Morrissey spoke at the awards night, saying Australians' diets were changing as they became more health conscious, and people were eating away from home more often.

"We provide the Golden Plate awards to encourage and recognise those food premises that are leading the trend towards better and safer standards of nutrition, hygiene and supportive environments," Cr Morrissey said.